Manage your subscription

60 Seconds

Social media spying ban

Facebook is banning the use of its data to spy on its users. The move comes after privacy advocates discovered companies exploiting Facebook data to help police monitor protesters. Facebook and Instagram policies now explicitly state that developers may not use their data to provide surveillance tools.

Breast cancer drug

Up to a fifth of women with breast cancer may benefit from drugs called PARP inhibitors, currently only used for cancers caused by faulty BRCA genes. The discovery was made by analysing 560 samples of breast cancer tissue (Nature Medicine, doi.org/b37d). PARP inhibitors specifically target cancer cells, so have fewer side effects.

Mangrove die-off

Last year’s El Niño didn’t just devastate corals in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, it also took a heavy toll on mangroves. Some 7400 hectares were lost along a 1000-kilometre stretch in north-east Australia, probably as a result of drought and heat (Marine and Freshwater Research, doi.org/b37h).

Fluorescent frog

A tree frog is the first amphibian known to be naturally fluorescent. A compound in its lymph and skin glands gives it a glow that may make it easier for the frogs to see and communicate with each other at twilight (PNAS, doi.org/b364).

Parenthood plus

Why become a parent? For one thing, it may add a few years to your life. A study of 1.4 million people in Sweden found that by the age of 60, women who had children could expect to live 1.5 years longer than childless peers. Fathers could expect nearly 2 years added to their lifespan compared with men with no children (Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, DOI: 10.1136/jech-2016-207857).